DIYISIOX OF CHEMISTRY 

 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Precipitation and Amount of Nitrogen per Acre, Ottawa, 1908-1913. 



257 



Rain 



in 



Inches. 



Year end ne Februar 



Average for 22 years 



29 



ins 



, 08. 



s, 1909. 



28, 1910. 



28, 1911. 



29, 1912 

 28, 1913. 



2\ 05 

 22 99 

 2879 



19 67 



20 33 

 30-34 

 2523 



Snow- 

 in 

 Inches. 



133 00 

 1,6 25 

 80-75 

 73 ' 00 



104-25 

 96 25 

 92 36 



Pounds 



of 

 Nitrogen 

 pnr Acre. 



332 

 364 



809 

 271 

 100 

 144 



It is interesting to note that the proportions of the total nitrogen furnished by 

 the rain and snow respectively have remained practically constant for the past four 

 years, and it would seem that, for the precipitation at Ottawa, somewhat more than 

 eight-tenths of the nitrogen is to be found in the rain. For the past year, we have 

 5-113 pounds nitrogen, or 83 per cent of the whole, in the rain, and 1-031 pounds, or 

 17 per cent, in the snow. For the period 1908-1913, the data are given in tabulated 

 form as follows : — 



Amounts of Nitrogen furnished by Eain and Snow. 



* Snowfall exceptionally heavy. 



t Rain abnormally rich in ammonia due to bush fires. 



Considering the distribution or proportion of the various nitrogen compounds, 

 the results of the past year are in close accord with those previously obtained; of the 

 total nitrogen, 6-144 pounds, it will be observed 4-434 pounds, or 72 per cent, were 

 present as free and organic ammonia, and 1-710 pounds, or 2-8 per cent, as nitrate3 

 and nitrites. 



The results in the following table are of interest in showing the greater richness 

 of the rain ttnd the proportions of the several nitrogen compounds as present in both 

 rain and snow: — 



